As I Lay Dying
by Snake of the Rose
Summary: Lead me to Heaven when we die.
1. Confined

_**A/N: **This story was based on a vivid dream I had one night._

_-SOTR_

* * *

_**AS I LAY DYING**_

_by Snake of the Rose_

_"WE'VE BEEN HIT!"_

_Screams, cries..._

_A big thud._

_Eyesight's blurry._

_More screams._

"PRIVATE! WAKE UP!"

_A sharp blow to the face._

The swift blow of reality came crashing down on the young avian pilot. Without he warning he began choking on his own saliva, his eyes still blurred, his ability to hear fading. "Guh?" he sputtered.

The avian's commander appeared in eyesight above the young pilot. "Yes sir?"

"Don't "_yes sir"_ me! The ship is going DOWN! Get up and help steer this damned thing!"

The avian jumped out of his seat. "What?"

"NOW, PRIVATE!" the black-suited commander barked.

The young pilot scanned the control center quickly. All of his fellow pilots were screaming and running around frantically, some trying to fix the damaged controls and put out fires.

The mothership was shaking violently, throwing many off of their feet and slamming them against each other. The young pilot was thrown from his chair suddenly, and he landed against the ceiling.

"We've rolled!" shouted someone frantically, hanging on the the controls- now on the ceiling- desperately. The ship had rolled over, causing the ceiling to be under everyone's feet.

The pilot groaned, his eyesight relentlessly blurry. _What the hell is going on? _He thought frantically.

There was a sudden impact from the bottom-rear of the ship, and a grueling screech of metal was heard. The ship rolled violently again, this time rotating forward.

"No, no no NO!" the pilot yelled, scrambling furiously upwards, trying to get ahold of something before he fell to his death. He lifted himself onto the back of the ground-secured chair which he had been sitting in earlier.

What was now below him was the ship's front, where the gigantic bayview window was located. The window was an utter factor of death- if that window were to bust open, the whole crew would be sent to their vast grave.

The pilot panted, clutching at his white flight suit. He was very frightened. The ship shouldn't be in the state it was in. Even if it had rolled over, the ship's personal gravity should have remained constant, so the people inside would still be standing firmly on their feet.

Screams filled the air, and everyhwere the pilot looked he saw horror. Many crew members were frantically clutching objects to hang on to with their lives, many of their grips failing them, sending them to their doom. The pilot was in the middle of the room leaning on the back of the head pilot's chair, and had no choice but to watch as his colleagues died. Most were lucky, and slipped onto a sturdy surface of some sort or slipped into another room.

Shrieks were heard from the pilot's left suddenly, and he looked over to see a familiar canine flying through the air.

"Johnathan!" the pilot cried.

The pilot's cries were unheard by the canine as Johnathan sailed at least 60 feet from the back of the room to the front of the ship, where the immense bay window caught the canine's fall with a sickening _crack_.

* * *

"Oh, shut up, McStacey!"

It was a joyful summer day in the vast metropolis of Corneria City. The sun was smiling brightly upon the new day. The cars that filled the sky loomed lazily overhead, their drivers headed to work. A pleasant breeze cooled the freshly graduated pilots as they walked casually through the city's national park. A wolf and a fox, both garbed in white flight suits, were pushing each other around with laughs on their faces.

"Pipe down, you guys," the white avian told them, putting his hands in the pockets of his snappy blue aerial suit.

A silver feline was fiddling with a small, golden medal that was around her neck. The medal had a picture of a capitalized 'C' in the middle of it, with ships in the background and designs around the insignia. She too, wore the same style flight suit as the other three. "Ah, let 'em be, Alex," she told the white avian, still looking at her medal. "It's not everyday someone graduates from the Academy with flying colors." She smiled.

Alex sort of sneered and shifted around in his pockets. She was right though. Getting through the Academy was enough to celebrate about.

The fox laughed, and regained pace with his friends. "Wow," he said aloud, looking up into the sky. "Soon we'll be up there in that fleet kicking some REAL ass.

"Got that right," the wolf said, yawning. "And to think our little Alex here is going to be bossing the lot of us around." He finished his sentence with a smug smile, and gave Alex a pat on the head. He shot him a look.

"About damn time, Johnny." he said, smiling coyly. "After all those years of being your guys' lackey I deserve some proper respect."

With that, Johnny and the fox burst into mocking laughter, which changed Alex's facial expression immediately.

"What's so funny?" Alex stated quite loudly, standing before them. Johnny and the fox suddenly stopped laughing, giving Alex a confused look.

Alex had them now.

"At attention, corporals!" Alex ordered. The two clicked there feet together and stood straight up, looking blankly ahead.

"Alex..." the feline began.

"Luna." Alex held up a hand signaling her to stop, and then he turned back towards the fox.

"Now now," Alex started slyly, walking in front of his teammates. "I believe I missed the joke. Anyone care to explain it for me?"

Johnny, swallowing his pride, spoke up. "Sir! We were recalling the years of picking on you, sir!"

Alex looked at him sternly. "And why is that funny?"

Johnny did not speak, but only looked forward.

Ignoring it, Alex turned towards the fox. "I don't think it's very amusing to make fun of people higher in me in rank. Corporal Perry! Who am I?"

The fox barked loudly. "Sir! You are Commander Alexander Sheridan, pilot of the Cornerian Space Fleet mothership number 117, sir!"

"And that," Alex added, "Makes me your superior officer. Correct?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"And as your superior officer..." he said as he brought his face close to the unblinking fox. "I order you to cover today's lunch at the pizza parlor!"

Alex broke into a laugh as the fox looked at them, dumbfounded. He then sighed angrily and took out his wallet. "Screw you guys."

Alex clutched his chest, laughing. "You almost pissed yourself! Ah, payback's a bitch, eh?" He slugged him on the shoulder playfully. Johnny was practically going into conniptions from laughter and Luna just sort of smiled and shook her head.

* * *

The surface of the bay window was beginning to collect pools of blood from the fallen. Alex stared out blankly, awestruck by his friend's death.

The ship was still roaring horridly. Screams were still splitting the air and bodies were still flying. The ship continued to rush through an endless asteroid field.

The ship was soon to be doomed if action was not taken. Leaning against the back of the chair, Alex slowly creeped around to the front of it, where the ship's steering column was placed. The roaring and shaking of the ship made the short distance a dangerous one to travel. He slowly positioned himself above the steering column, and dropped down on to it. Hugging the column, he slowly worked his way up it and reached for the throttle.

He grasped empty air.

"Oh no..." the handle was gone, and the thruster was stuck at its maximum velocity.

"There's gotta be a way to control this thing!" Alex yelled and slammed on a few controls. A few pieces of flaming debris fell around him.

To his left, a rending noise was heard. Alex turned and saw a few of the fusion plasma coils that carried fuel to the engine burst through the wall, spraying noxious green fuel everyhwere. Pilots were rained down upon, the fuel causing some to lose their grips or their eyesight. But then, there was a familiar high-pitched shriek followed by cries of help. Alex saw Luna leaned up against a support column, her eyes closed in pain and her arms up to shield herself from the fuel that drenched her. The fusion coils whipped and twisted around wildly, smacking an unfortunate few to their doom while decorating the interior of the ship with green fuel. One coil suddenly whipped around the column Luna was leaning against and wrapped around her. The coil caught itself, trapping Luna in it's grip. She continued to scream as she tried to free herself from the bone-shattering constriction.

"Luna!" Alex shouted towards her, waving his arms. Luna was blinded by the fuel in her eyes, but she looked around desperately at the sound of her friend's voice. "Alex! Help me!"

"I'm coming!" He shakily tried to balance himself on the narrow column, positioning himself for a daring jump towards the neighboring ones. He counted to three, and then leaped towards the next column, landing on it firmly. He then jumped to the next one, but as he was in the air a blast of fuel sprayed the column with slippery ooze. Alex came down on the column, instantly losing his footing.

"Shit!" He tumbled over the side, falling about 5 feet onto a protruding piece of wall.

Luna was now just 10 feet below Alex's position. He peered over the top of the broken wall. "I'm here Luna! Hang on!" Alex looked around for a sharp object to cut Luna free.

She screamed for more help, the coil wrapping around her tightly. Alex was just about to leap down when he saw another flaming piece of debris fall down towards him. He ducked instinctively, and then realized the horror of his maneuver.

The flames from the debris skimmed Luna as it fell by, setting her ablaze. There was an explosion of flame and a bloodcurdling scream as flames engulfed the feline and incinerated her alive. To his horror, Alex could make out her black outline screaming and thrashing, and then slowly stop, go limp, and diminish into ash.

"NOOO!" Alex screamed in agony.

The fire then wrapped around the fusion coil, engulfing it. The fusion coil was treated like a fuse, the flames rushing through the coil, igniting other ones along the way. The fuel that sprayed from the coils was now ignited, creating thrashing, infernal flamethrowers. They shot around, spewing flames that emulated the doomed upon contact.

_BOOM!_

Alex was thrown from the wall by the left engine's explosion. The ship now careened left and downward, rolling violently through empty space. Alex flew through the air, catching a glimpse of all the mayhem in one disturbing image. A few seconds later, he smashed against the far back wall, his vision fading to black.

* * *

_Thwap. Thwap._

Alex was on his bed, his dorm dark. He threw darts at the ceiling above him, where a picture of a small avian family was stuck.

_Thwap. _"Bulls-eye."

The dart he had just thrown stuck in the head of a blue avian man wrapping his arms around an purple avian woman and their little white son.

Alex sighed and rolled to his side. He wasn't in the best of moods. His first mission was in about two weeks, and it just happened to be an ever-exciting cargo delivery mission. Alex didn't want his first mission to be something so minimal and pointless. He wanted to start his career with a bang, not with some pointless, boring transport. He wanted to be like the legendary team of mercenaries that had saved the Lylat system countless times, all those years ago.

For Lylat's sake, he was a commander, not a delivery boy.

"Dammit Dad," he muttered to himself. "I sure could use you right now."

* * *

"Alex! ALEX!"

The black faded away as Alex was slapped out of unconsciousness. Before him was the bleeding, scorched face of Corporal Dennis Perry.

"Thank God you're okay." the fox lifted Alex to his feet.

Alex almost lost his balance trying to stand up. Rubbing the side of his head wearily, he noticed the ship had stopped rolling and the screams had stopped. There was still a dull roar, and a few small fires were still about.

"What happened?" Alex asked gravely.

Dennis shook his head. "We flew straight into a belt of concentrated asteroids. The pilot was asleep at the wheel, apparently. We have yet to find out who it was."

Alex nodded. "What's the status of the ship and crew?"

"53 reported dead and 18 missing. We have a good amount of injured and the ship is still at risk of tearing apart at a fast rate due to the loss of the left engine and fuel tanks."

Alex looked around as he regained his composure. He saw many blue-suited bodies laying still in rows, covered in sheets. He recognized most of the bodies, one of them, to his dismay, the black-feathered commander.

"I don't understand Den," Alex started, taking his eyes away from the tragedy and turning towards his friend. "Why were we being tossed around like toys? Why didn't the gravitational systems function properly?"

"Well sir, we're not sure yet. Some of the crew looked into it and said it might be something about an external force of gravity that tampered with our interior gravity dampeners."

"That's not very probable," Alex concurred. "It'd take an ENORMOUS force of gravity to do that, especially to a mothership of this size. The only two factors that could _maybe_ cause that would be a Class 5 black hole, or an imploding planet. Both of which are extremely unlikely in this sector of space."

"I'm not sure, sir," Dennis said, scratching his ear.

"Don't call me sir. I'm not your superior officer anymore."

Alex turned away with a sneer, remembering WHY he wasn't a commander anymore, now just a lowly private. A mass spherical glob of green and a sickly yellow was lurking outside the bloodstained bay window. The ship was sailing dangerously close towards a vile-looking planet, with yellow magma flows designing it's surface like raindrops on a windowpane. The planet's surface was dark, except for the outstanding enourmous vomit-colored spot emanating on a small part of the planet.

"What's the name of that planet?" Alex asked.

Dennis once again shook his head. "No idea. The scanners and radar are completely shot, and energy levels are dangerously low. We and the remaining crew members have strategized to sling-shot around the planet and back towards our original destination."

"We're still continuing this mission?" Alex barked. "That's insane! I say we set course for Corneria."

"Sir...er, Alex, we'd be setting course straight for the asteroid belt again. Plus, our destination is closer then home."

Alex growled and turned away. He looked up towards a blackened column that towered above him, where a faint white shape could be made out in the form of a body. Alex knew what it was right away, and it took every ounce of strength to choke back his tears. He felt a hand on his shoulder shortly afterwards.

"I don't believe it either." Dennis said quietly, squeezing Alex's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go see Johnny."

At first, Alex was relieved to hear Johnny's name. Maybe the wolf had survived his fall against the bayview window. Alex sure hoped so.

Dennis led the avian towards a shape that was covered by a white sheet, which made Alex's heart sink. Dennis slowly removed it, and revealed the body of the once proud Johnathan McStacey. He had his arms crossed over his chest, holding his graduation medal in his hands. His black fur was stained with crimson blood. But, even in death, he looked peaceful, content. His eyes were firmly shut in eternal slumber.

Alex couldn't hold it anymore. A few wet spots began to appear on the floor next to the beloved friend. Alex reached down to his fallen comrade and gave him one last hug, tears falling on Johnny's medal.

Dennis was facing the other way, his head in his hands. Alex stood up slowly. Others around him were mourning the deaths of their fellow comrades as well.

"G-goodbye buddy. I...I love you, man."

Alex closed his eyes and waved to someone to cover Johnny back up.

"Well sir," Dennis said, drying his eyes. "We'd best get to some sleep. We're going to need everyone at full attention for the sling-shot maneuver."

Alex agreed. He slumped down in the nearest chair, and let the blackness of sleep overcome him once more.

* * *

_**A/N P.S- **This is not the same John McStacey from SilencedFox86's story, "Star Fox: How We Survive." _


	2. Through Struggle

_**A/N: **It's been about a year, but all things come to an end eventually._

_-SOTR_

* * *

_"Daddy?"_

_"Yeah Alex?"_

_"Wha's Stah Fox?"_

_"Heh heh. They were the heroes of the Lylat System, son. I thought I bought you the picture books of them."_

_"Mom hided them."_

_"...Oh."_

_"Where Stah Fox now?"_

_"Oh, they're gone, son. Out in...bigger space now. All of those stories in the books happened a long time ago...way before Grandpa was even born."_

_"Wow! An' Grahpa's old! I think he's 7!"_

_"Ah, I love ya, you little squirt. Come 'ere."_

"Alex...Alex. Sir, wake up!"

"Nyug...huh? What? What's going on?" The white avian awoke once more, wiping the drool from his beak. Dennis was standing before him, a concerned look on his tired, burnt face.

"Jeez laweez Den, you look awful."

"Not feeling too great sir," the vulpine replied.

"Me either. And stop calling me that."

Alex rose from his chair with a great yawn. His back cracked in several places, and his neck was sore from the posture he had been in from sleeping. Taking a brief look around Mothership 117, he noticed that a lot of cleanup had been done. The green fuel was almost all gone, all the fires were out, the debris cluttered in neat little piles.

The bodies were gone, too.

_You did this._

Alex shuddered. "How long I been out?"

Dennis checked his watch. "Wow, I'm surprised my watch made it. Uh, about 4 hours. We need some help for our upcoming maneuver, so I grabbed you. I mean, you did have the original flight coordinates and-"

The fox was cut short by Alex once more. "Please, don't bring that up." He brushed off his torn suit and began walking with Dennis down towards the front of the ship, where some of the main flight computers remained, a few crew members pecking away at the keyboards. Alex looked out the cracked bayview window in disgust, noticing the zit-colored planet was much closer now.

"Alright," Dennis began, walking up to one of the remaining computers, fellow crew members working beside him on other units. "Have we thought of a safe way to do this?"

"Not quite, Corporal," a female chipmunk answered. "There really is no safe way to do this. We either pull it off perfectly, or get sucked in by the planet's gravitational forces."

Alex, who was standing behind the terminals, sighed. "Have we tried sending out a distress signal to any nearby planets?"

A rodent in glasses answered him. "Yes Private, that was the first thing we did when the asteroids hit. But do you see any help? I don't think so." The rodent returned his gaze to his unit with a hiss.

Alex scowled. "Can't we do anything now?"

The chipmunk spoke up again. "Listen Sheridan, I don't think you are the one who's supposed to be telling us what to do. You already screwed us all over once, so why should we rely on you again?" She glared at the defenseless white avian. There were a few agreements from those at the terminals.

Alex gazed with empty eyes towards his fellow crew members. Dennis was looking away, a discontent frown on his snout.

_It's all your fault._

"I know a 'sorry' won't cut it...but can I do anything to help?" Alex pleaded.

Katrina, the chipmunk, stared him down a few moments. "...Yeah. We've got some trajectories and gravitational monitors we need an eye kept on, jump on a terminal, and I'll give you the bypass codes..."

Katrina went on to explain on what to keep track of and at what moments. The yellow-green planet was ever closer. Alex found it hard to believe that gross looking blob of a planet was about to save all of their lives.

"Alright," Katrina announced to those working on the terminals. "We're in range. Brent, if you would..."

Katrina was addressing the snow-white leopard on the terminal across from her, who didn't seem to be paying much attention. His face was vacant, staring blankly down at the screen in front of him.

"Brent!"

The leopard snapped back to attention with a sudden jerk of his head. He had a small bag of ice on his right shoulder, where a blood stain was showing. "Uh, sorry. I was trying to figure out this imbalance in uh, this..." The leopard trailed off. "Big...stack of numbers. Whatcha need?"

Katrina looked at him puzzled. "Are you okay?"

"Heh, yeah. I took uh, a few blows to the head when we were being tossed around like salad." He made a mock knocking gesture to his head.

"Well, it's business time, so recuperate yourself," Katrina murmured, typing a few keys. "I need you to make an announcement to the crew. We're about to enter that planet's orbit and I don't want to have another incident like earlier."

"Ah, not a problem. One sec."

Brent fumbled with a few objects in front of him, eventually picking up a microphone and turning it on. He cleared his throat.

"Attention everyone, there's a sale going on at-" The white leopard fumbled and jerked his head again, obviously in some kind of mental fit. "-Sorry about that, uh, could I please have everyone strap themselves in to the nearest chair, as we are entering a highly gravitational area of orbit. Thank you."

Alex watched the confused-looking leopard sit down and rub his temples.

"Everyone ready?" Katrina announced one more time. There was a last-minute safety to check to make sure everyone had a sturdy position, and a brief terminal check. Alex felt butterflies in his stomach.

The horrid planet was now enveloping the entire window space. There was a small shake of the ship, and for a second, Alex thought they were crashing again.

"We're in," the rodent with glasses announced. "Initiate ambulatory motors."

Everyone at the terminals was working furiously, besides Alex. He was watching a graph of energy levels rise up and down. Katrina had told him to make sure everything stayed at yellow or green.

"Reserve thrusters active," Alex heard Dennis say. "How we lookin' on the charts, Alex?"

"Uh, we're good. Whoever's on Terminal 8, ease up a bit."

_You can't be trusted._

There was another gentle shake from the ship, signifying its speed increasing. Everyone and everything on the ship was relatively calm. Alex felt some sort of weight get tossed off of his shoulders.

"Entering velocity level 4, speed increasing, planetary gravity kicking in," another said.

"Looking good guys, keep it up," Katrina said.

This went on for about 15 more minutes, the terminal workers shouting out conditions and Alex keeping them all under control. The mothership was seemingly on a smooth course, set straight for safety.

"Okay folks, we're entering the most crucial part of this maneuver," Katrina said aloud. "I need your full on attention for this. Brent, are you ready?"

Taking a look at the snow leopard, Alex saw him nod halfheartedly. For some unknown reason, Alex gripped his chair a little bit tighter.

"Initiate the reserve turbo boosters."

"Wait, WHAT?" Alex yelled, startling everyone at the terminals. "If we flip on those boosters, we're as good as dead!"

"Private Sheridan!"

"Don't 'Private Sheridan' me, you buck-toothed bitch!" Alex screamed, making both Dennis and Katrina jump out of their seats. "I was once captain of this ship, and I know damn well that if we ignite those boosters, we're all going _straight to hell!" _

Alex was on his feet now, fists clenched. The chipmunk was speechless at the outburst, her face stricken with some combination of fear and anger. Even still, she quickly regained her composure and utterly ignored Alex completely. "Brent, please ignite the boosters."

"NO!" Alex shouted again towards the leopard, whose face was fixed in shock and pain. "If you value your own skin, you won't hit that switch Brent."

Brent sat there, shaking uncontrollably. "I...I...don't pressure me!"

"Corporal Gnecco, ignite those damn boosters now! That's an ORDER!"

"DON'T DO IT MAN! You're going to kill us all!"

The leopard was exchanging glances between Katrina and Alex like a frightened child. His shaking had worsened.

"I...please...I can't...can't...ugh."

With a groan that seemed to emote all life out in one breath, Brent fell headfirst into the control console, stone cold. As he fell to the side out of his chair, his paw meandered and flicked a series of switches on the control board.

There was a scream as Brent's body hit the floor, and everyone promptly panicked. The ship was rapidly gaining speed.

"God dammit!" Katrina shouted furiously, her eyes glued to her screen. "I swear to fucking God Alex, I'm going to kill you myself! Somebody get Gnecco to safety NOW!"

There was no time. The ship jolted violently and sent Alex flat on his back. There were more screams from around the room, most of them from the terminal crew. Alex's vision faded to black for a moment, and in an instant...

He was terrified.

Opening his eyes, all he saw was a blur of gray and white. The ship was roaring now along with the shaking. Alex waited for bodies to start tossing through the air again.

But they didn't.

_They're better off without you._

They didn't listen to him. And now, everyone was going to die.

_That's how it all began anyway_, Alex thought. _No one listens to the guy in charge._

"Whoa!" Another jolt from the ship tossed Alex a few feet in the air. A split second later he landed against the terminal which Brent had been working on. The leopard's body was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Alex murmured in a panicked breath. Seizing the moment of opportunity, he forcefully swatted his hand at the swithces and keys, desperately hoping something would happen.

And it did.

With a great roar, the ship began losing speed. The forces of gravity were relinquished, and the velocity crumbled. Within minutes, the ship was again bumbling along at it's normal speed.

Alex was slumped against a wall, his vision black, dazed. He heard the sighs of relief emanate around him.

Katrina lifted her head up from her computer screen, which was now broken. She put a hand up to her face, checking her own sense of reality. "We...I...Is everyone...okay?"

Mumbles and groans validated her answer. She leaned back with a sigh, closing her eyes. "Oh, thank Lylat."

"Ugh, holy shit..." Dennis grumbled, putting a paw on his forehead. He looked around for his friend. "Alex?"

On the wall twenty feet away, Alex flashed Dennis the thumbs-up.

"Heh heh," Dennis chuckled as he slipped out of his seat to treat his friend. "You alright man?"

"...Do I need to put up another thumb?"

"Ha, no. Be thankful though...you were right," Dennis trailed off, looking back towards Katrina. "You just saved us all. Come on, get up."

Dennis reached down and lent Alex a helping hand. Alex was a bit shaken, but not injured. Both of them lumbered back to the control terminals, where some of the members were treating Brent, whom Alex supposed they had found. The snow leopard, sadly, was bleeding everywhere. A newly formed gash appeared on his left temple.

Alex hoisted himself from Dennis' grip and set himself down on a chair with a groan of relief. A moment later, a hand appeared on his shoulder.

"Private Sheridan," Katrina said lowly.

_Shit. _"Uh, yes, Lieutenant?"

Katrina's grip tightened on the avian's shoulders. "I'll have you know your previous act is a form of a more...shall I say, _potent _type of not following direct orders. An act we call treason."

Alex gulped. But then again, what's the worst she could do in the middle of nowhere? Half of the crew was dead, and that disgusting planet was staring them straight in the face...

"I could have you released through the air lock, you know," Katrina told him with a bitter smile. "But...you did take action in a time of dire need, and you..." She paused, hesitating. "...saved your comrades' lives. Thank you, Alex."

She let go of the avian and began to walk towards the front bay window, her brown tail waving astray. When she reached the cracked glass, she put a hand on it.

"I think everything's going to be just fine now," she announced. "We should be out of this planet's gravity with enough energy to spare to make it to our destination. Great job crew, I know it's been...quite a dark day, but with courage, we can do anything. Right?" The greenish-yellow glow of the planet emanated a strange aura behind her.

"I can't wait to go home..." Dennis groaned, a half-smile on his face.

"I'm just glad it's all over," Alex said. "I wish Johnny and Luna were still...aw, Christ..." Alex felt his eyes well up.

"It's...alright Alex," Dennis told him, his face scrunched, trying to prevent himself from crying. "They'll still be with us. They'll lead us home."

Alex sniffed. "Yeah. They will. It can only get better from here, right?"

Dennis nodded with a tear-drenched smile.

Katrina turned around to face the two friends with a reassuring smile. "It _can _only get better from here."

And then, the bayview window exploded.

* * *

_**A/N:** One more chapter._

_-SOTR_


	3. Finale

_No rest for the wicked._

Warmth.

Pain.

Regret.

That's all Alex could comprehend at the moment. His eyes felt as if they were sewn shut; no matter how hard he tried his eyelids would not budge. His other senses were failing him as well; he couldn't hear, he couldn't smell, he could hardly even feel.

_I must be dead, _he thought.

That was the only logical explanation for everything. The meteorite that hit the bay window of the command center must've sucked everyone outside into the cold void of space, where they all perished when the life was sucked out of them.

A swirling black was all that Alex 'saw', a black very similar to the occasional night of a dreamless sleep. It never ended, never faded, and never went anywhere. It was almost comforting...and terrifying.

_Everyone else must be dead too, _Alex continued to ponder.

He couldn't imagine that this was the fate one saw after death. Religion, prophecy, beliefs... all null in this afterlife. People had wasted years upon years debating, preaching, even killing in the name of something they believed in. The irony was overwhelming, if this is what death really contained.

More black swirled in front of Alex's 'eyes'. He couldn't believe it. This... was his eternity. As was everybody else's. A pang of remorse began to swell in his ethereal gut.

The warmth that Alex 'felt' began to incline. This surprised the young avian. What should have been the entire front of his body was slowly beginning to get warmer and warmer. A dull ringing also began to expand in his eardrums, and the black was slowly starting to fade...

"Hrg...agh...Uhhn..?"

The black vanished, and in its place a small slit of light began to vertically rise from Alex's sight. The brightness quickly eroded, and the cruel, cruel, hands of fate gripped the white avian's shoulders once more.

He wasn't dead.

Alex was face down on a very hot surface of gritty dirt, very confused and very injured. His flight suit was torn in all sorts of places; a few patches of his feathers were charred away and scorch marks littered his body.

He couldn't move at all. When he tried, his body erupted into pain, with no specific origin. His left cheek was embedded into the ground, both of his arms sprawled out in front of him. His beak wouldn't function, either. All he could do was lounge in the horrors that laid before him.

There was destruction everywhere Alex's eyesight would allow. Twisted, destroyed hunks of metal were lodged into the earth, almost all on fire. The ground was a sickly looking black, the very soil plagued with death and decay. The sky was illuminated by a very familiar yellowish-green, and the stench of the lot was overwhelming.

Ahead of Alex were the last remnants of his crew and ship. There were bodies -most missing some sort of limb, or several- scattered around, some mounted into the ground along with the remains of the mothership. Also, some 150 feet ahead, the ground rose into a slightly steeper upward shape; a cliff of some sorts. That's was where most of the disgusting bile light was emanating from.

Sounds were starting to fade into Alex's brain. The steady sound of a roaring fire came first, along with an occasional crash of metal to the ground.

Then came the moans.

Some of the bodies, Alex noticed, were still alive. Horror's coil twisted the avian's stomach as he watched those without legs, arms, or half of their entire heads slowly convulse and descend into death. Alex was rendered helpless and terrified...he would soon be next.

_Ashes to ashes._

_Where are we? What's going on?_

His mind was his only companion. He believed he may have been paralyzed by the collision. His limbs failed him.

Failure.

That very word sprung into Alex's mind repeatedly, reminding him over and over the awful mistake that did this to him and his crew. He twisted his face into a moan and let out a cry of agony.

"Why...why-hy-hy..." he sputtered.

Pain kept swirling through his veins. The death moans around him only made it worse.

Somehow, Alex managed to shift his weight to the right and budge himself onto his back, looking upwards to the void that had claimed so many lives.

There were no stars. Just black.

The thick green light shone ominously into his peripheral vision. The color was haunting, disgusting, putrid...its very existence emanated impending doom.

Suddenly, Alex broke out into a fit of coughs. They were ragged and painful, and his abdomen practically exploded from the pain. With a groan, Alex rested his head on the side of the ground, and caught a new glimpse of the horror that had befallen his unit.

This scene was even worse then the previous one. Bodies...bodies everywhere. Alex couldn't bear to look. The yellowish-green glow reflected the essence of death and multiplied it tenfold.

A dull noise, much like a weary boot-step, began to make its way towards the fallen avian. Alex grimaced in pain. If there were other survivors, it wouldn't be pretty.

"He-Hello? Ale-lex?"

The voice came from somewhere above Alex's ahead, the sentence flubbed by tears and coughs. The steps were closer now.

"W-Who..." was all Alex managed to say.

There were a few strenuous grunts, as if the voice was pulling itself along by the teeth. Soon, a figure rose over the top of the avian. Alex's blurry sight clouded the face of the survivor.

The figure crouched down over Alex. "It's Dennis, man. Are you...?"

Alex coughed and sputtered again. "...No. H-Help me up."

The fox reached down and wrapped his arms underneath the avian's, lifting Alex up and propping him to a seated position. His head wearily drifted to the side.

"What...Who's...Ugh."

Alex's voice box was paralyzed along with everyone else, it seemed. Dennis seemed to know though, and took a look around him.

"It...it was awful, Alex. Katrina was just...blown to smithereens. A meteorite hit the window, and..."

Dennis stopped for a moment and shielded his eyes with his hand, trying to keep back sobs.

With a sniff, he continued. "Everyone at the terminals just vanished. Hell, everything in the front-most part of the ship did. Just...sucked straight out into nothing. Everyone was trying to hang on to something, but...it was just too much. They would be there one second, and gone the next."

Alex winced. His mind couldn't take it.

"How...how did you an-and I..."

"I've got no idea. I saw you get tossed somewhere, and then I..." Dennis stopped again. "Me and Jenny from 3rd Squad were trapped underneath a big stack of debris...Neither of us could move, and I thought we were going to be okay for a moment." Dennis paused to take a breath. "She tried to say something to me, but all I could do was grab her hand. A second later, she...she was gone.."

Alex's half-closed eyes lit up a bit, and a weak smile appeared on his beak. "You...you dug her, I re-remember...Heh heh..." Alex lifted up a finger and pointed it at Dennis, who was streaming tears but started to beam a sad smile.

"Y-yeah man, you remember the time wh-when her and Luna were going to come over, and..."

Alex laughed feebly. "You we-were gonna ask her o-out when she got over, but..."

"Johnny beat me to it!" Dennis chortled a bit, sending tears everywhere. He and Alex were both laughing.

Alex coughed, and became limp again. Dennis caught him before he fell, and propped him into his previous position. Alex wasn't laughing anymore. His face drooped and his gaze was low.

"W-why, Den..." he moaned, his voice slurred by the rasping of his throat.

"Why what?"

"Why d-did...those bastards h-have to take Johnny..." His eyes closed in agony.

All Dennis could do was pucker his snout together and sob.

"B-because man," he sobbed, "they're bastards."

There were no 'bastards' actually involved in anything. Alex was trying to blame the death of his friends on something else.

_You can't hide from the truth._

Dennis took a moment and reached into his pocket, producing small items Alex couldn't see. "Here sir, open up."

Alex feebly opened his beak a bit and let Dennis drop two pills down his throat. Alex couldn't even taste the bitterness that should've been there.

"That'll help ya get on your feet," the vulpine said, readying something in his hand. Alex felt a tiny prick in his right arm. "And so will this."

Warmth traveled through Alex's veins as Dennis removed the syringe. Newfound energy pumped through his blood. The fog that clouded his vision was swept away.

Alex rose to his feet, with the help of his friend. He was wobbly and light-headed. "Where'd you find that?" Alex asked quietly, looking at his surroundings.

The fox tossed the needle to the ground. "The other survivors and I managed to salvage the rest of the main hull before it burst into flames."

"Survivors? Others made it?"

"Yeah," Dennis said with a nod. "Well, about 7 of us anyway. We have one in critical condition. C'mon."

Lending a supporting arm to Alex, the two trudged their way through the scattered debris and carnage that littered the surface of this awful place. As Alex looked around, he was filled with fright and awe.

The horizon was completely pitch black. There were millions of temporal cracks in the ground, where yellow magma traveled freely underneath. The light came from these and the big fissure only; anything past that was utter darkness.

Just ahead of the two was the remnants of the ship's front hull, which was tossed on its side and gutted with holes. The inside of it was on fire, and smoke jetted out from the top of it. Crowded around near the front of the wreckage was a small group of people, who had lain out useful junk they found from the surrounding area. There was a white figure on the ground, its head covered in bandages. Alex didn't recognize too many of them.

"Found one more," Dennis announced as they approached the haggard pilots. They looked up at Alex, who could only grimace back. He found a seat on a stack of partially ruined crates next to a reptilian woman, who was treating the figure on the ground.

It was Brent.

The snow leopard was still kicking, it seemed, but only barely. His breathing was shallow, and his head was still wrapped in blood-soaked bandages.

"How's he doing?" Alex asked quietly.

The woman didn't say anything for a moment, and spoke only with a frown. "...Not too well. He's suffered more then extreme head trauma...he should be dead, just like the rest of them..."

She shook her head, and continued to overlook the feline.

To Alex's left were the remaining survivors. Dennis, two canines, a badger, and another feline. All were morose and defeated.

"You doin' awright?" The badger asked Alex. He nodded, and then shook his head.

"I don't know. I can hardly feel my legs..." Alex replied, giving his right knee a flick.

The badger chortled slightly, and looked a different way. "I heah ya. This pwace isn't reawwy too easy on da senses." He scratched his chin. "Hey Hans, any idea wheah we at?"

One of the canines looked up from a bag he was rummaging through. Alex recognized him as Corporal Hans Oster. "What, you didn't _see _the planet we were trying to maneuver around? Welcome to hell buddy." He continued what he was doing.

The badger shrugged. "Eh...joikoff."

Alex wasn't particularly amused. "What? We...we landed _here?_"

"Need I repeat myself?" Hans stated without looking up.

Alex shoved his face in his hands. _We're all as good as dead. _

"Whoa!" A cry flew out from behind the survivors. Dennis came trudging up with a small piece of machinery in his arms. "I think I found the radio!"

"Hey, we can call for help now!" The other canine said, her voice in high spirits. Alex didn't know her name.

There were agreements all around. "Yeah I know," Dennis said, "but we gotta see if it works first."

"Here." The orange-striped tabby crouched by the smoking device, seizing it in his paws. "I'm...I was second-in-command at the command terminals. Lemme take a look."

Dennis scooted over a foot or two, and let the cat do his work. He pulled a screwdriver out of his utility belt and tried to undo the screws, but the whole front plate of the radio was dented inwards, so he used it to pry it open. Throwing the plate off to the side, he peeked inside and began tinkering with the guts of the radio.

"Well?" the badger asked after a few minutes.

"Eh..." the cat pulled a few loose components from the inside. "It's pretty shot, I don't know if it can be salvaged..." Another minute or two passed by, and suddenly the feline's ears perked up.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"I...I think it's working!"

There was a small rally of cheers. "What are you waiting for?" Hans shouted, smiling. "Get us the hell out of here, Raz!"

Raz scrambled to pick up the receiver. He put the phone next to his ear and began to type in digits on the radio's control board. "H-Hello? Command? This is Rasputin Faulkner of Mothership 117. We've crash-landed on an uncharted planet and have suffered heavy casualties. I repeat, heavy casualties. There are eight survivors left, one in critical condition. We are in desperate need of evacuation. Command, do you copy? Over."

Silence.

"Don't stop, try again!"

The feline sighed. "Command! This is Mothership 117 inbound, do you copy? Over!"

More silence.

"Hello? Anyone! This is Mothership 117, we've suffered heavy casualties and need evac ASAP! Does anyone read me? Over!"

Alex's heart sank. They were all doomed.

Hans suddenly reached out and grasped the radio out of Raz's hands. He shoved the receiver next to his snout and screamed. "Listen you assholes, we have a MOTHERSHIP DOWN! Mothership 117 has CRASHED! Everyone, and I mean everyone, is DEAD! We are on some god-forsaken planet in the middle of Sector eight dash twelve, and we need evac, STAT! Does anyone read me? Over!"

There was a burst of static, and then the radio sparked and died completely.

"SHIT!" The angered canine tossed the radio to the ground, where Raz quickly snatched it up.

"You idiot!" the feline cried. "This is our only damn hope out of here! Control yourself!"

"I don't give a damn!" Hans shouted, raising his arms to the air. "We're all fucking toast anyways!"

"Fool," Raz muttered, again looking inside the radio.

Hans stopped, and gave a Raz a sneer. "What'd you call me?"

"I didn't call you anything, you retarded butt-sniffer!"

"THAT'S IT!"

The canine leaped towards Raz, who hissed as they collided and rolled backwards. There was a sudden commotion between the survivors as the two brawled along the surface for control of the radio, banging each other's heads into the protruding metal columns sticking 15 feet out of the ground.

"Stop it!" Dennis was shouting. "Cut it out, you freakin' morons!"

Hans and Raz weren't hearing any of Dennis's pleas. They continued to roll about, finally stopping as they rammed into a big hunk of metal, the radio still grasped between them. Punches continued to fly.

"Euuur...grah!" Hans' fist zoomed past Raz's head, making a bang against the debris behind it. He stopped and wiggled his hand in pain. There was a moan of metal from above.

"God damn," Dennis sighed, out of breath. "How the hell are we supposed to find a way out of this place if you two keep fucking bickering like 4 year olds?"

"I'll tell ya how, we'll-"

A sharp crack of static from the radio next to the feuding two stopped them both. Very faintly, a voice erupted from the speakers.

"_He...Mot...ne seven, this i...Trucker in you are...our status? Over."_

Hans and Raz both looked at each, and simultaneously scrambled for the radio. They toppled over each other, and another fight broke out moments later.

"I fucking swear..." Dennis murmured as he started to hobble their way. "When I get my paws on..."

A low, horrible wrenching of metal split the air from above the two on the ground. Alex's eyes caught the situation all too soon.

"LOOK OUT!"

_GRUNTCH. _

A massive hunk of ship came rumbling down on top of Hans and Raz, silencing the fight, and their voices, for good.

"NOO!"

Quickly, the remaining survivors clambered over to the accident and began heaving off the chunks of metal and fuselage. After minutes of desperately clawing away at steel, they managed to reach the bodies.

It was far too late for help now. Both men were dead, their bones crushed by the wreckage. The survivors couldn't do anything but look away and cover their eyes as they mourned. Alex, who was still standing above the scene, reflected on the newest casualty.

Polar opposites of life, the cat and the dog. Locked together here in mortal combat, all in primal instinct to survive. Clutched between the both of them, were the demolished remains of the radio.

All hope, was now gone.

An impending feeling of doom sank into Alex's gut, his face wide with shock. Salvation was so close, and yet, now, so far away.

He looked back towards his remaining teammates, who were all in tears. The two women were huddled next to each other for comfort, whereas Dennis and the badger were just flat out sobbing. Silently, tears began to stream down Alex's cheeks.

Very suddenly, a low rumble reverberated through the ground. Alex thought he was imagining it at first, until a roar that could've broken the sound barrier screamed through the air along with a jolt of the earth that sent him on his back convinced him otherwise. He yelled in terror, but couldn't even hear himself.

Along with the roaring came the sound of liquid splashing and an unfathomable wave of heat. Alex, quite frankly, couldn't see shit; the earthquake that rendered the ground was throwing him all over the place. He managed to catch a gargantuan burst of yellow light before his body started to roll too violently to see anything.

With every roll, he felt some part of his body practically break. He didn't know what was going on, or where anyone else was.

Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over. Alex found himself flat on his face once more, severely bruised, his hearing shot. He brought himself to his feet, only to stumble from disorientation and fall down again.

"Hello? HELLO!" He cried, hoping somebody would hear him and come to his rescue.

_Can't breathe. Can't see. Going to die._

Alex couldn't help it. His stomach churned and he vomited, awakening newfound pain in his belly. He groaned in agony as his body convulsed.

_Somebody help me._

He vomited again, eventually collapsing onto the ground and letting sobs shake him. He twisted his body into the fetal position and waited for his death to take him.

The ringing in his ears dulled as the time passed, ever so slowly to let all the awful feelings course through his veins. As the old sound faded out, a new one welcomed itself in.

Screams.

Screams of torture, pain, twisting coils of brutal agony. Screams like someone was getting murdered. It was frightening, and Alex could only imagine the worst.

His agonized conscience gave him a second wind. Desperately trying to ignore his own pain, the avian brought himself to his feet. He was dizzy, sick to his stomach, and the heat on this planet was roasting his skin. He was covered in dirt and vomit, and an aura of defeat smothered him. He tried to find the origin of the screams. He saw no one around him.

"Hello? Dennis? Brent? Anyone? HELLO?"

Yelling did him no good. The planet's thick and disgusting atmosphere choked him and brought his words to a stop.

There were pools of yellow and black scattered across the ground. The yellowish stuff bubbled with extreme heat, slithered through the dirt and eventually finding its way back to the temporal cracks in the ground and disappearing from sight. Smoldering black piles replaced a lot the yellow where it couldn't escape, where it cooled.

It was magma.

Alex's fears only worsened. Not only were they trapped on a planet, they were trapped next to hundreds, maybe _thousands, _of exposed magma chambers.

Alex broke out into a run. Fear fastened around him and turned his legs to jelly. The screams were getting louder and closer.

And then, before the avian, lay fate's newest victim.

Alex fell to his knees and cursed the skies.

On the ground in front of him was the twisting figure of Corporal Dennis Perry, whose entire front half was melted off and burned away. His fleshless face continued to scream guttural cries of death.

Alex was screaming at the top of his lungs, not only in terror but in midst of his dying friend before him. He could do literally nothing but sit there and watch as Dennis's eyes fell from his skull and his organs leak from his body as he continued to scream. Burnt, boiling blood was pooled around him, splashing everywhere as he twisted and convulsed. Alex finally gave in.

Still screaming and sputtering tears, Alex twisted around and found a sizable black rock and gripped it in his hands. Taking his last look at his beloved friend, he raised the rock and brought it down on Dennis's skull.

The screams stopped.

Alex rested there, on his knees, and the let the smoldering hot rock fall from his hands. His hands were charred and burned, but he didn't care. Everything he had in this world had been taken from him. His friends, his life, his family. Anything and everything he cared about was gone, null, void. There was nothing for him now, on this desolace of a planet, the place which was going to take his very life. His friends, crew members...everyone was dead.

And it was all his fault.

His head sank low, and his eyes slammed shut.

"Why...Why me...WHY, DAMN YOU!"

He threw himself backwards onto the ground, reeling in another fit of sobs.

_Bad things happen when you fall asleep at the wheel._

The avian pilot slammed his fists on the ground until they bled. Looking up between sobs and shouts of anger, he saw the rise of the cliff face.

Alex pulled himself to his feet, leaving his fallen friend's side. He trudged towards the rise in the ground. There was nothing left for him now. Everyone else was surely dead. Hope left him.

As he reached the rise, a blast of scorching air rose up and ascended towards the dark heavens. Alex kept stern, and gazed over the edge.

Below, was Alex's destiny. A churning, bubbling ocean of yellow magma. The avian's face twisted into an angry scowl.

He positioned himself at the tip of the cliff, still looking downwards.

_I'll be with you all soon._

Alex took a large breath, and let his weight fall from under him.

But something odd and extraordinary stopped his fall.

"Whoa there," a voice came from behind, a pair of hands hoisting Alex back onto his feet. "Don't wanna do that just yet, do ya?"

Alex's eyes went wide. The voice was very familiar, but also very distant. Ghostly sounding, even.

Quickly, Alex turned around to face his savior. A warm, smiling face greeted him, transparent and ethereal.

"You're-" Alex gasped.

The vulpine figure nodded. "Yeah, I know who I am," it laughed. "But do you know who _you _are?"

The avian was at a loss for words. "I-I...how..."

"Out with it."

Alex gulped. "I'm Alexander Sheridan, Private First Class of Mothership 117 of the Cornerian Space Fleet."

The vulpine laughed again, his bright green eyes piercing Alex's gaze. "Well, I know that. But do you know who you are as a person?"

"I..."

"I didn't think so." The fox in the green and white flight suit turned and began walking away. "Come with me."

Alex turned back towards the magma cauldron, and then followed the ghostly hero.

"Pardon me," Alex said as he strode up next to the figure. "But I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating. You're just part of my imagination."

The fox shook his head. "Bah, denial. It's always the first stage."

"Wha- Of what?"

"Well..." the vulpine paused for a moment. "I'm going to be dead honest with you here, kid. Denial is the first stage of a lot of things. But in this situation, it's death." He looked at Alex, who was wide-eyed in disbelief.

"You _did _know you were going to die, didn't you?" The ghostly hero asked. "I mean, people don't just stand at the edges of cliff faces with feelings like yours for just fun and games. You were going to commit suicide, weren't you?"

Alex's gut twisted as the last of his pride left him. Very slowly, he nodded his head yes.

"Ah!" the fox suddenly cried, clapping his ghostly hands and smiling. "Then you've made it past the first stage. Well, the second and third as well. But you did that earlier. Now we just need the last one, and you're good to go."

Alex shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "Now what a minute pal, how do you know me? Who are you? WHAT are you? What are you doing here? Where are my friends?"

All the fox did was chortle. "You sound just like an old friend of mine. Your friends, Alex, are right here."

The fox stepped to the side, revealing figures of all of Alex's friends, all cheerful and smiling. Their ethereal forms waved at the stunned avian. Luna, Johnny, Dennis, even Raz and Hans.

Alex was silent. "They're...waiting for me...aren't they, Mr. McCloud?"

Fox nodded with a bright smile. "I understand you want to be with them, Alex. There is no escaping the inevitable. But you have a task to complete."

Alex stared at the past savior of Lylat in question.

"You can't be selfish at a time like this, young man. If you were to have jumped off that ledge, you probably wouldn't have ascended. Your soul would've remained here, forever."

"You've committed a great sin, Alex," the figure continued. "You were indeed responsible for the deaths of your teammates. Do you know why?"

Alex shook his head. "I don't remember much."

"Well, this may sound a bit disturbing to you then, son..." the vulpine trailed off. "You weren't doing your job. Your great resentment towards those who outranked you corrupted you. You were so vengeful from being stripped of your ranks that you let your anger consume you. You let these thoughts drive your mind so easily that when it was time to do your duty, you were careless and resentful. You didn't care to do your job correctly because to you, it was no longer your job. You were still sky-high in rank, at least in your head. Your feelings got the better of you, so when you plotted a slightly longer course to make your vessel late, and I quote..."

The ghostly figured cleared his throat and raised a finger.

"'Make that black-feathered bastard feel like an incompetent pile of Anglar shit,' you rearranged the coordinates and your ship veered into an uncharted asteroid field."

The avian's jaw fell agape, and his stomach churned once more in agony.

"It...it was me..."

Fox nodded. "And now, you must repent for what evil you have committed."

His eyes still wide from shock, Alex nodded his head slowly.

"Anyhoo, I learned, in all of my times as Lylat's hero, death is something you cannot escape. Like I said before, it is inevitable and it will happen someday. But you'll never find peace with yourself unless you can accept it."

"And that's the final stage?"

Fox nodded again. "You got it. Your friend here has already learned and accepted what is to happen to him, and knows he's going to Heaven. You must take him with you, and not leave his poor soul here without a companion. He is your savior, as you are his."

Alex was beyond flabbergasted. "Who?"

Fox took another step to the right, and behind him was the snow leopard, Brent. His face was bright and cheerful, as if nothing have ever happened.

"Hi Awex," he said with a wave. Instantly, Alex was overcome with tears. It was more then obvious Brent's head injuries had given him severe brain trauma. He had the conscience of a 4-year old, at the very least.

"H-Hi, buddy. How...How're ya doin'?"

"I'm fine," Brent said, his voice even affected by his mental damage. "We gotta go soon. Mr. McWoud said so."

Alex scrunched up his beak and nodded. "We sure do. We're g-going to a w-way better place." Visible tears dropped to the ground.

Fox was standing to the side with his arms crossed. "Alex, are you ready?"

The avian turned towards his childhood hero, and with a solemn gaze, he nodded.

After a moment, Fox smiled and gripped his shoulder with a faint hand. "We'll see you soon."

And just like that, he was gone. A roar filled Alex's ear drums, bringing reality back into play. Brent was still standing in front of him, a light smile on his face. Alex returned it, his eyes and face drenched with destiny's tears.

He put an arm around the snow leopard as if he was a good friend and started making his way towards the cliff's edge. Alex wasn't afraid anymore.

"I can't wait to see evwybawdy," Brent said. "Iss gonna be fun when we all hang out."

Alex nodded, the tears still streaming. "It sure is buddy. It sure is."

The cliff edge was now in front of the two, the great sea of magma churning below. Together, the two looked over the edge.

"Iss hot down there," Brent mused.

Alex's beak slowly turned solemn. "Yeah, but not for long. That's uh...just the pool we have to dive in if we...want to see everyone again."

Brent gasped in delight. "Reawwy? But...I can't swim..."

The avian put a hand on his shoulder. You don't need to know how. It's...magic water. We're going to jump in and pop out the other side. Like magic. See?" Alex kicked a nearby rock off the edge and the two watched as it disappeared into the magma.

Brent nodded and laughed. "Sounds fun!"

Alex's body started to shake lightly. "Okay buddy, this is it. We're gonna jump in together, on the c-count of three. Are y-you ready?"

"Uh huh."

Alex took Brent's arm, and looked towards the sky. "Alright, on three, we close our eyes and jump."

"One..."

"T-two..." Alex closed his eyes.

"Awex?"

"Yeah?"

There was a short pause.

"Lead me to Heaven when we die."

The avian took a large breath, and looked towards the sky. Far into the black void that had claimed so many lives, a small star shone through. As acceptance swirled into Alex's soul, a small smile appeared on his beak.

"Three."

And then, they were gone.

_**~The End~**_


	4. End NotesGoodbye?

**_Author's Notes and Regards_**

Greetings, all you furry bastards. I just wanted to thank all of you for reading As I Lay Dying. I really appreciated all of the reviews that came in, and was quite touched on what I was able to do with my words. You guys are the best for reading it; I'm very happy you enjoyed it!

I thank you all. This story was a journey to write, and was an experience to have dreamed about.

I'm not sure if I'm coming back or not. I know not everything I wrote was sensational, and there's still a lot of things I wanted to do and finish, but it's been so long since I've had any inspiration. Maybe one day, near or far from now, I'll find something that will get me back on the wonderful track of writing. But until then...

We'll just have to read the book as the pages turn.

Best of Wishes,

_~Snake of the Rose_


	5. Obnoxious Update

Good morning, afternoon, evening or fourthmeal everyone. It sure has been a long time.

It's been legitimately around 3 good years since I've posted an integral update, and I'm not too sure how I feel about that. Time can slip by faster then you think, and a lot can change in the blink of an eye. I've had my fair share of changes in this amount of time that has passed, and I'm sure this community has as well. For the better or for the worst, we will come to see.

Now I know I'm doing a downright turrible thing by posting a stoopid update on a story just to get a message across to potential readers, and you may lynch me later for it, I assure you. I also know I've said that I was _thinking _of making a return(and not acted on it, shame on me) in the past. Something this time around has really moved and motivated me to get back in to the scene. It could just be because of current real-life issues that are pushing me to vent frustration in an artistic way, or maybe I have simply just re-contracted the writing bug and I have to let loose all this deeply spiritual literature that tips the scales of mediocrity, yo! I suppose we'll find out, but in the end I guess it doesn't really matter.

Phoo! Here I go again writing circles around myself. And I do apologize again for this 'update' to be more of a journal entry portrayed to you, dear readers, in a bit of an obnoxious form, but alas other methods of announcing my return are kind of escaping me at the moment. So near with me if you could :)

If I do make a return, expect a decent amount of overhaul to most of my existing pieces(save this one, for which I have truly bastardized its use). It won't be anything hard to follow, it's just me fixing plot holes and reeling over 5 year old junk I thought was cool when I was younger.

So for now I bid thee farewell, I must return to my cave of solitude to plan a comeback. Which I guess I've already done. Or not. DAMMIT

I'm hopeful to see familiar faces, and new ones are always welcome.

-SOTR


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